John Furlong
VANOC Chief Executive Officer
As CEO for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Furlong believes the event can not only be a nation builder, but can also be an inspiration in the area of sustainability.
"Our bid to host the 2010 Games included a commitment to embrace sustainability in everything we do," Furlong said during his October, 2007 address to the United Nations.
Prior to his appointment at VANOC in 2004, Furlong was the President and Chief Operating Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. He helped lead the organization through numerous phases. In his role, he became the Bid's international face and key spokesperson.
Furlong has been involved with athletics all his life, having competed at the international level in three sports. He captained Gaelic football teams, as well as national basketball and handball teams in his native Ireland. The Olympic Games first captivated him in 1964, when he watched the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games on television: "Being involved with the Olympic Games was all I could think of."
A former Canadian squash champion, Furlong continues to play and work out when he can. He enjoys good books, movies, live theatre, his daughter's soccer games and the Vancouver Canucks.
Born in Tipperary, Ireland, Furlong is a resident of Richmond, B.C. He has five children and six grandchildren.
A green life and a green Games
John Furlong is modest about his efforts to go green. But it's clear, from the things he does at home to the things he wants for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, that he's serious about conservation.
Last Modified: May 9, 2009
